Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Lining
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-20
2001-09-04
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Lining
C280S759000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283527
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of ballast, and more particularly to a system for providing selective weight distribution in pickup trucks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Light trucks, such as pick up trucks, are typically used for hauling a wide variety of cargoes. Although the cargo bed of such trucks are designed to have the center-of-gravity of the cargo optimally located in the center of the bed to provide for uniform loading on the axles of the truck, sometimes an item of cargo has a significantly non-uniform weight distribution which can prevent this from being realized. In some of these cases, such load imbalances can create performance and safety problems in the operation of the vehicle. Further, the suspension of such vehicles are designed for a fully-loaded truck, and an unloaded truck can at times have insufficient weight to allow for good traction in slippery road conditions.
In addition, much of the prior art does not provide a secure attachment of the ballast to the truck. Emergency braking, and collisions can cause severe safety problems when such ballast becomes dislodged while the truck is under way.
Several approaches have been proposed for overcoming both the traction problem and the weight distribution problem through the use of additional ballast being added to the cargo area. Most such approaches involve the use of hollow containers which when filled with a liquid or a granular material, such as sand, provide the additional weight as it is needed. When the weight is not needed, a drain is provided to remove the filler material.
Some of these approaches fit within the wheel-well cavity areas as vertical-standing containers such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,281 to Chandler. Distribution over the cargo bed of such containers allows for both counterbalancing a non-uniform cargo and to provide the additional traction weight for the road condition problem. A principal drawback in the use of such containers is that areas that would normally be used for cargo are occupied by the ballast containers.
To overcome this inefficient use of cargo space, systems have been proposed that incorporate shallow, flat fill-able cavities that cover the entire surface of the cargo bed, such as in the teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,914 to Raynor and 5,330,227 to Anderson. Raynor discloses a conformal shell that fits to the entire inside of a pickup bed cavity, and has a shallow hollow at the bottom of the shell for filling with a liquid to provide a uniform weight over the entire cargo bed. A drain valve is provided for removing the liquid when not needed. This provides a solution to the traction problems, but provides no relief to the weight distribution problem.
Anderson teaches a plurality of rectangular hollow beams that are laterally arranged to provide the “full-bed” coverage for the traction problem, but has the ability to remove one or more of the beams to accommodate the needs of a load distribution, although in a limited manner. The fill material is non-liquid, and can be inserted and removed through a removable end-cap. A bolted retaining bar secures the beams in place to the bed of the truck by interlocking with the end cap to prevent bouncing and movement of the ballast beams. A significant drawback is that counterbalancing weight cannot exceed that of a few filled beams. A further disadvantage is that the use of the non-liquid filler material creates a more difficult removal and storage issue over those using a liquid filler material and can be filled with a conventional hose.
To overcome the above drawbacks, the present invention provides for a plurality of fill-able interlocking plank-like hollow ballast containers that are secured to the truck bed. When interlocked laterally across the truck bed, such containers provide a solution to the traction problem. When stacked and secured vertically, the containers provide selective weight distribution for counterbalancing requirements. Further, the present invention provides a means for the easy removal of excess weight when it is no longer needed through either the removal of individual ballast elements or through the selective draining of the filler material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multitude of interlocking low-profile hollow containers are assembled across the entirety of a cargo bed of a pickup truck and are secured to the bed of the truck with bolts. Each one of the hollow containers has recesses on the top surface at the aperture for the mounting bolts, such that the bolt heads are not projecting above the top surface of the container. When the individual containers are filled with a weighted material, such as water or sand, the flat weighted structure provides additional traction to the drive wheels of the truck on slippery road surfaces.
In an alternate embodiment, the filled containers are stacked at selective locations and secured to the truck bed with bolts to provide a counter-balancing weight for a heavy piece of cargo that is not placed in the gravitational center of the load platform.
Thus, a principal object of the invention is to provide a low-profile platform over the entirety of the bed of a pickup truck that can be filled as needed with a liquid or weighted granular material to provide additional wheel traction to the vehicle. This is accomplished by a horizontal arrangement of a multitude of the ballast containers each having interlocking edges for mating with an adjacent ballast containers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vertical arrangement of the ballast containers to provide for counter-balancing a cargo load, which would otherwise cause a tilt in the loaded vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means for a simultaneous arrangement both in the vertical and the horizontal orientation of the low-profile containers to provide for both extra weight and the counter-balancing a cargo load.
Another object is to provide a convenient means of filling or emptying said ballast material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible container that will not rupture when the contained liquid expands on freezing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that when filled will not weight more than 50 pounds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container having smooth edges to facilitate handling the thougth special equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that is no more than a few inches in height.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4796914 (1989-01-01), Raynor
patent: 4902038 (1990-02-01), Grover
patent: 4971356 (1990-11-01), Cook
patent: 5330227 (1994-07-01), Anderson
Pape Joseph D.
White Mark P.
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